Major Winter Storm this Weekend for Southern Plains

“TRAVEL WILL BECOME EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS AND COULD BECOME IMPOSSIBLE,” says National Weather Service.

Large accumulations of snow possible, and with the high winds that will accompany this system, blizzard conditions are likely at times. Those with travel plans late in the weekend and early next week should plan accordingly.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX… 24 DEC 2015

…DANGEROUS WINTER STORM REMAINS ON TRACK FOR LATE WEEKEND…

A DEVELOPING STORM SYSTEM IN THE DESERT SOUTHWEST WILL PULL ABUNDANT MOISTURE NORTH ACROSS WEST TEXAS THIS WEEKEND. MUCH COLDER AIR WILL ARRIVE ON SATURDAY AND SET THE STAGE FOR A PROLONGED WINTER STORM BEGINNING SATURDAY NIGHT BEFORE ENDING
LATE MONDAY MORNING. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS…HEAVY SNOW AND A WINTRY MIX AT TIMES WILL LIKELY CREATE TREACHEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS AND COULD SUSPEND TRAVEL ALTOGETHER.

Kazachstan, December 25, 2015: Nearly 300 people rescued from snow captivity for one day in EKR. (with pictures and video).
A strong snowstorm blocked the traffic on the site of “Ust-Kamenogorsk – Almaty” and 6 passengers buses needed the help of rescuers.
“The night before, in Ayagoz area on the road,” Ust-Kamenogorsk-Almaty “because of strong snowstorm was paralyzed traffic. The column stood 6 buses, they were moving in the direction of Urdzhar-Almaty-Taldykorgan before turning to. Taskesken” – he said the report of the Department of Emergency Situations of the East Kazakhstan region.
As reported, the place went PSD Ayagoz district and representatives of the local executive bodies. They have helped passengers to get out of a locked area. The bus station is 270 people. n addition, the DES reported that in Zharma district, 40 km from the village Kalbatau, by the fire service and rescue from snow drifts were evacuated to 4 people, including 1 child. The men were taken to the village Kalbatau.
DES EKR asks citizens to postpone travel to the country. According to weather forecasts, strong winds will continue until December 25. At the same time there is black ice on the roads.
Zyryanovsk completely covered with snow. In the city in recent days has dropped half a meter of snow and rain do not stop until now.
Public utilities Zyryanovsk unable to contain the element. Citizens complain that no settlement of miners to pass or drive.
“The whole town is buried in snow. Everywhere drifts. Transport hardly walk. On the job people get on foot. Shelled runs virtually no all paths trodden in the snow. Some that in the morning to go out of the house, either have to dig these trenches, or to go on waist or chest in snow, “- said a resident of Zyryanovsk Denis Karelin.http://informburo.kz/novosti/trista-chelovek-spasli-iz-snezhnogo-plena-za-sutki-v-vostochnom-kazahstane-.html

… A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON CST MONDAY.
* WINDS AND VISIBILITY…NORTHERLY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS NEAR 60 MPH.
VISIBILITIES FROM FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW
WILL LIKELY DROP TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES.
* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS…6 TO 15 INCHES OF SNOW WITH LOCALIZED HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE.
SNOW DRIFTS OF 5 TO 10 FEET ARE LIKELY GIVEN THE EXPECTED STRONG WINDS.
* WIND CHILLS…THE COMBINATION OF STRONG NORTH WINDS AND COLD
TEMPERATURES WILL PRODUCE WIND CHILLS AS LOW AS 10 BELOW ZERO FOR MUCH OF THE EVENT.
* IMPACTS…TRAVEL WILL BECOME EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS…IF NOT POSSIBLE.http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ama/

Mongolia, Friday, December 25th, 2015 |
A Mil Mi-8 helicopter belonging to Mongolian Armed Forces Unit 337 crashed on Wednesday night at 8:00 p.m. in Nalaikh District during a scheduled night-time military drill, killing one person and injuring 10 others.
The new snow rose in the air from the spinning of the helicopter’s rotor, and might have limited the pilot’s vision. The death of Sh.Otgonbileg, UN spectators and Japanese journalists in 2001 was also linked to snow rising with the rotor and obstructing the pilot’s view, so it is likely that this was the case,” they said. At 7:30 p.m. yesterday, the official investigation of the cause of the crash was still underway.http://ubpost.mongolnews.mn/?p=17573http://ubpost.mongolnews.mn/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/1450924221_a7460c53ecd5080046f311dd0b43d560-320×181.jpg